Girdle



P. BLATT GIRDLE Aug. 25, 153

Filed July 28, 1951 INVENTOR. PA 01. A 54 A r 7- Arrqexveys I Patented Aug. 25, 1953 UNITED srarss PATENT OFFICE GIRDLE Paula Blatt, Bel-ea, Ohio Application July 28, 1951, Serial No. 239,072

2 Claims. 1

This invention is for an improved girdle of wrap-around form that is so constructed as to be particularly well adapted to ensure a combined feeling of security and comfort when worn by an expectant mother; and this constitutes the general object of my present invention as herein set forth.

A further object is to devise such a girdle that possesses elasticity in different directions in its several sections so as to be best adapted to conform itself to the changing contour of the abdominal region of the body of the wearer durin the period of expectancy and that also is capable of suitable adjustment as may be required or desired either by wearers of somewhat different fi ures or by the same wearer at different times during such period.

Another object of my present invention is to devise such a girdle with a combined means of support and means of adjustment.

Another object is to devise such a girdle that is capable of supporting engagement therefor in the region of the sacroiliac joint and that is provided also with means of support in the region immediately therebelow.

Other objects will appear from the following description and claims when considered together with the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a view illustrating my present form of girdle in front elevation;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 illustrates the panels or blanks from which the several sections of the girdle are made;

Fig. 4 illustrates one step in the method of forming the covered hook to which the free end of each belt is secured; and.

Fig. 5 illustrates the same in completed form.

It is to be understood that the present form of disclosure is merely for the purpose of illustration and that there might be devised various modifications thereof without departing from the spirit of my invention as herein set forth and claimed.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing in detail, the front section I may be made from a panel or blank la of substantially trapezoidal form except that the top edge thereof is of curved or arched form. Each of the several sections will be made of suitable material, that is fabric, and will possess suitable elasticity as Will appear from the following. The section I will possess elasticity in only the vertical direction and will have its upper and lower edges turned over or hemmed inwardly and may be provided with a hidden fulness along the top edge thereof by means of an elastic tape secured along the edge portion. The same provision may be made along the bottom edge also of the section I and the tape in this instance may be placed upon the front together with a suitable trim.

The side edges of the front section I may be secured by sewing, with a hidden fulness, to the inside edge portion of each of the two duplicate side sections 2 and 3 which may be formed from the panels or blanks 2a and 3a of suitable fabric. Each of these side sectionswill have its lower rear corner portion 217 and 31), respectively, folded upwardly and inwardly in triangular form and sewed along the edge thereof so as to form the triangular sections 4 and 5' at the rear of the girdle. It will be observed that the top edges of the panels 211 and 3a are inclined along straight lines rearwardly and downwardly, this inclination in each instance constituting a substantial continuation of the arch form of the top edge of the front section I so as to thereby produce a form that is well adapted to the natural lines of the hip region of the wearenas will be seen from Figs. 1 and 2 of the present drawing.

The adjacent portions along the top edges of the portions 2a and 2b, and 3a and 3b, in each instance, extend in a straight line of the same length at an angle to the main top edges of the portions 2a and 3a so as to provide the suitable squared reinforced edge portions 4a and 5a for anchoring the ends of the elastic straps 5 and l, to be hereinafter referred to.

The side sections 2 and 3 will be made of suitable fabric, possibly the same as that of section I, and will possess elasticity in a horizontal direction and also angularly in accordance with the downwardly and rearwardly inclined general form of these sections 2 and 3. The top edges of the sections 2 and 3 will be folded or hemmedinwardly and will be provided with a hidden fulness which may be taken up by the yieldability of the elastic tape attached along the inner edge thereof, in response to the increased fulness of the figure of the wearer. This tape is a continuation of that which is provided along the top edge of the front section I.

By folding the portions 2b and 3b, the resultant elasticity of the rear sections 4 and 5 is in a direction substantially upwardly and rearwardly so as to conform to the general direction of extent of the fastening straps'and the elasticity of the same, as will later appear.

The single form of longitudinally elastic strap 6 extends through the closed loop or eye portion 8 of a conventional fastener member and is 3 doubled back upon itself when this member has been set at the point desired therealong. The open-end or hook portion 9 of this fastener memher is adapted to be engaged by the closed loop form of longitudinally elastic strap 1. Since the folded end of the strap 6 engages the body of the wearer, it will remain in position to which adjusted; and, in effect, this arrangement constitutes a means of adjustment for varying the effective length of this strap. The straps 6 and E will engage the region of the sacroiliac joint of the wearer and will afford comfortable and dependable means of support for the girdle.

In addition, I have provided the cross-over longitudinally elastic belts I and II which are of substantial width and are so arranged as to be adapted to cross each other at a point below the region of the sacroiliac joint. These crossover belts I0 and I I may be of greater widththan the straps 6 and I and will provide support of considerable extent in the region of the body to the rear of the abdominal region, with the result that there will be greatly increased the sense of security and the feeling of comfort upon the part of the wearer.

The belts I0 and I I, which are of longitudinally elastic character, are anchored at their one ends at the top parts of the edges of the folded portions 2b and 3b and in line with the direction of the elasticity of the side sections 2 and 3 so as to obtain a co-ordination between the directions of the elasticity of these sections 2 and 3 and the cross-over belts, thereby making it possible to satisfy the requirements of the changing size and contour of the middle region of the body with the greatest possible degree of satisfaction with respect to a feeling of security and comfort.

The free ends of the cross-over belts I0 and H are provided with loops I2 and 53, respectively, for engagement over a hook at the opposite side of the girdle, in each instance. As will be observed, the cross-over belts I0 and H are each anchored at one end upon the inside of the girdle and thus extend out from under the rear sections A and 5, respectively, which of course are held in firm engagement with the body of the wearer and hence over the belts l0 and II.

The same form of conventional hook, as above indicated, is adjustably mounted upon each of the elastic straps I4 and I5 that are anchored at their one ends to the outside of the girdle near the bottom of the seam between the front section 5 and the side sections 2 and 3. As will be seen from Fig. 4, the strap It for instance has its free end threaded through the open eye [5 and the closed eye ll of this hook member by passing it beneath the middle part l8 thereof; then the hook is turned about its vertical axis and towards the left, as viewed in Fig. 4 of the present drawing, so as to bring the open eye [6 to the right, whereupon the free end portion of the strap It will be engaged in the open eye 56, as indicated in Fig. 5 of the drawing which represents the completed condition of my hook arrangement for engagement by the loop I2 in each instance. In turning the hook member about its vertical or longitudinal axis, as just explained, it is to be understood that the strap It will be folded upon itself; that is, the hook member and the strap I I will be rolled or folded together so as to produce an interlocking engagement between the same. As a result, the closed eye ii and the middle part l8 are completely enclosed by the strap I4 of fabricated elastic material;

and the application of a pulling force to the free end of the strap I4 will cause this covered hook to engage inwardly against the strap I4, that is to the left of the hook as viewed in Fig. 5 of the drawing. Thus there is produced a covered hook for engagement by the loop I2, in each instance, and the exertion of pulling force upon the belt ID, for instance, will cause a most effective and dependable engagement of theloopand the covered hook so that there is no danger of the loop l2 becoming accidentally dislodged or worn. The hooks may be adjusted along the straps I4 and I5 according to the size of the person wearing the girdle. Likewise the position of the hook member upon the strap 6 may be changed so as to obtain the proper adjustment for size and hence for comfort;

As will be observed from Figs. 1 and 2 of the present drawing, when this girdle is in position upon the wearer, there is obtained a gradual and continuous curvature downwardly from the front about the entire top edge of the girdle so as to provide the necessary means of support in the front for the abdominal region and also about the regions of the hips and so as to also provide the necessary means of support in the region of the sacroiliac joint, while the cross-over belts I I! and I! afford still further support in the region therebelow. The front section I may be provided with an additional or reserve fullness in the upper part thereof, which may be taken up or filled out by the increase in the size of the abdominal region during the natural development during the period of expectancy.

The bottom edge of the girdle may be of straight form throughout and may have garter supports depending therefrom, as indicated in a general way by reference numerals I9 and 20.

It might be explained that the loop on the end of strap 1 and also the loop [2 are of sufficient size to permit insertion of the finger therethrough so as to facilitate application of the loop to its hook in each instance.

It is believed that the various advantages of the present invention will readily suggest themselves to those who are familiar with the art to which this invention relates.

What I claim is:

l. A girdle comprising an open-ended band having a front section possessing elasticity in only the vertical direction, a side section adjoining each side of said front section and possessing elasticity in only the horizontal direction, a rear section adjoining each 01" said side sections, means extending substantially horizontally from the top of the rear of said rear sections for releasably connecting the same about the body of the wearer, longitudinally elastic belts each attached at its one end to said band at the rear edge of said side section at a point below the top thereof and extending downwardly at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees, and means anchored at the bottom of each of the side edges of said front section for releasably securing the ends of said belts in cross-over relation in the region of the back of the wearer when in operative position.

2. A girdle comprising an open-ended elastic band adapted to extend about the front, sides and to the rear of the body of the wearer, means attached to the rear ends of said band for detachably connecting the same together, longitudinally elastic belts each attached at its one end to an end of said band at the upper part thereof and adapted to extend downwardly at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees in cross-over relation to each other, and means provided at the bottom of the sides of said belt for releasably securing the other ends of said belts in such cross-over relation in the region below the sacroiliac region of the body of the wearer when in operative position.

PAULA BLATT.

Number Name Date Wyeth Dec. 27, 1921 15 Number 6 Name Date Risselt Oct. 19, 1926 Shepard Dec. 28, 1926 McOrin Nov. 8, 1927 Kendrick Oct. 26, 1937 Willis 'et a1. Nov. 15, 1938 Marshall Dec. 9, 1941 Schubert June 13, 1944 Resimont Aug. 15, 195i) Silvain Nov. 14, 1950 Atchley Nov. 21, 1950 Berdach Apr. 17, 1951 

